A Bench in the Park
by Vulpixi Misa
Summary: ..Yusuke x Botan.. ..Kurama x Keiko.. A conversation between Botan and Keiko left Keiko wondering about her relationship with Yusuke. And how does Kurama fit into all of this?
1. Conversation

"Blah"- Speech

'Blah'- Thoughts

Disclaimer: Togashi Yoshihiro owns Yuu Yuu Hakusho, blah blah blah... If I owned it, Keiko would not exist and Botan would be with Yusuke instead. Nyahaha!

* * *

Plop! The bubbly, blue haired ferry landed on the spare futon Keiko had provided her with. She turned around so that she was laying on her back. Botan was dressed in blue pajamas with yellow stars. Her hair was tied into two buns, one on each side of her head.

"Keiko-chan?"

"Yeah?"

Keiko came back with the snacks. Her slumber outfit consisted of a pink blouse and red pajama pants. Her hair was tied into two pigtails, similar to when she was 14.

"I'm glad we're able to spend some time together. I'm always so busy with my job as the deity of death and stuff. It's a good thing Koenma-sama gave me a day off."

"Yeah, I'd like to spend some time with someone my age. It's summer vacation so, I can't really hang out with my classmates. Shizuru-san is nice but she's a bit too mature for me. Plus, she smokes a lot, and that can't be good for my lungs, or her's. Yukina-chan is nice but she has Genkai-san and Kuwabara-kun to keep her company. And we barely ever get to hang out!"

Keiko then grabbed a handful of popcorn and popped them in her mouth, one by one.

"So what are we watching?" Botan asked while holding up a few DVDs.

"I hear this one is great." Keiko place the disc in the DVD player and waited for it to load.

As the ending credits were rolling, Botan spoke up.

"That was so romantic!" She went sparkly-eyed.

"Yeah" Keiko nibbled on a potato chip.

"I wish I have a boyfriend." Botan sighed "Keiko-chan, you're so lucky, you have Yusuke." And she really meant those words.

"Yusuke... isn't exactly what you call boyfriend material. He's not the romantic type, so you can't expect much from him. And don't forget, he's a pervert."

Botan frowned at her description of Yusuke.

"Well, he's not all that bad, he can be kind and caring at times, and you know he truly cares for you." She smiled gently.

"Yeah, I guess..." Keiko replied, a bit unsure of herself. She decided to change the subject. "Hey Botan-san, do you have someone you care about?"

"Someone I care about?" Botan looks down at her lap. "Well, kinda..."

"What's he like? Do I know him?" Keiko was determined to get some answers out of her. She had to help Botan get the man of her dreams, after all, Botan was the one trying to get her and Yusuke together.

"Uh... well... He's like... um..." The blue haired deity blushed. "Well, you know him..." She tried not to look her friend in the eye.

"Ooo, lemmee guess! Um... is it Koenma-san?"

Botan raised an eyebrow. "Koenma-sama? Nah, he's just my boss and besides he's kinda like an older brother to me."

"Or younger brother when he's in his baby form." The two girls giggle.

"I bet it's Kurama-kun!"

"Kurama?!"

"Well, he seems like a nice guy. He's such a gentlemen, unlike some guys. And not to mention he's quite a looker." Keiko then stares dreamily into nowhere.

Botan gasped. "Keiko-chan, how can you talk about another guy like that when you have Yusuke!"

Keiko grabs the pillow on her bed and bops Botan on the head with it. "You know I was just joking Botan-san!"

Botan snatches the pillow from her grasp and bops her back. "Well, so was I!"

They engaged in a 'one pillow' pillow fight. Eventually, they got exhausted and declared a truce.

"Keiko-chan?"

"Yes Botan-san?"

"Why do you call me Botan-san? We've been through so much together and we're so close. What's with the formalities? You know you can call me Botan-chan or just Botan." She drew imaginary circles on the covers of the futon.

"I..." Keiko paused. "I don't know... I've been calling you that ever since I met you. And I guess I didn't get the right impression." Keiko began her stroll down Memory Lane.

Botan remembers how Keiko first met her. "Yeah, you thought that there was something going on between Yusuke and me." Now that she thought of it, why did she decide to hide behind Yusuke, then pop up when Keiko appeared?

Keiko laughed and Botan soon joined in. Keiko's laugh slowly faded and her smile turned into a frown. Botan looked at her friend in concern.

"Keiko-chan? You all right?"

"Sometimes, I don't think it'll work." The pigtailed girl tightly clutched her pillow.

"What won't work?"

"Yusuke and me. I've known him all my life, and he's barely shown any sign of emotion towards me. There are only a few times when he's serious, but the rest of the time, he doesn't even know I exist. Hell, he isn't even there most of the time..."

"...Keiko-chan, you know as well as I do that that isn't true. Yusuke-" Keiko cut her off.

"I don't really want to talk about it anymore."

The room was silent for a minute or two.

"But Keiko-"

"**I SAID ENOUGH**!"

Botan sat there, a bit hurt and a bit shocked at her friend's sudden outburst.

Keiko looked away. "Sorry Botan, it's late, let's just go to sleep."

Both girls went to sleep without saying a word to each other.

-------------------------End of chapter 1-------------------------

Well? How was it? Was it too short? 'Cause I compared them to others and I think it is too short. Well, it's supposed to be a BotanxYusuke fic. No it's not done, this is just chapter one. This is one of my first Chapter fics, because I only write One-Shots. Well, Yusuke will be appearing in the next chapter. Oh yeah, this takes place after the last episode. That means Keiko's hair is long enough to be tied in to a pigtail(that is what two ponytails on the sides are called right?). Yusuke and Keiko aren't married yet, and I'll explain that in the next chapter. I'm trying to keep everyone 'in character'. If they are OOC just tell me please, I trying to stick to the story as much as possible. I don't know what Keiko calls Koenma or if she know that he can turn into a baby. Oh yeah, and thanks to my sis for proof-reading/spell checking my grammar and mistakes. Oh yeah, comments please! Flames accepted!


	2. Encounter

"Blah"- Speech

'Blah'- Thoughts

* * *

Botan woke up early in the morning. It was about 7 or 8 AM. Normally, Botan would wake get up later than that, but her Reikai Tsuushin Compact woke her up. It was Koenma.

"Botan, you have to get back to Reikai right away!"

"What's the rush?" She rubbed her eyes.

"Well, the souls are piling up and we don't have enough ferry girls to guide them to their proper place."

"Why are there so many souls?"

"It doesn't matter, just get back here right away!" Then he hung up.

Botan looked around the room, Keiko's room. Keiko was still asleep. Botan snuck out the window, careful not to wake the slumbering girl. She summoned her oar and flew into the sky. Her pink kimono magically appear on her as she was engulfed by the white light of Reikai.

* * *

Keiko woke up and found that Botan was amiss. She somehow believed that it was her fault she left early. The girl felt guilty about the night before and would apologize to her blue haired friend. Keiko cleaned up the mess left from last night.

* * *

It was now noon and Botan was flying in the skies of Ningenkai. She had finished her job at Reikai and Koenma had let her have the rest of the day off. Botan intended on going back to Keiko's house to apologize for the night before. When she arrived at Keiko's bedroom window, she found that the room was empty. Botan frowned and headed towards Yusuke's house in hopes of finding Keiko. 'And get the chance to see Yusuke.' she thought.

Botan arrived at the door of the Urameshi residence. She magically changed into a pink T-shirt with blue denim capris and white sneakers. She was about to knock on the door, but the door opened and it knocked her unconscious. Botan let out a small 'mew'. Yusuke looked behind the door to find an unconscious Botan.

"Oops..."

Yusuke picked her up. 'Boy, she's so light.' he thought. He stared at her body for a few seconds before he went inside and placed her on his bed. He notices the small bump on her head.

"Better get some ice for that."

Then he left the room to fetch some ice. Botan moaned a bit but she didn't wake up. Yusuke came back with the ice. He brushes her bangs away and tucks it behind her ear. He just sat there holding an ice bag (that was slowly melting) staring at the unconscious beauty that lay before him. 'When did Botan become this beautiful?' He didn't realize he uttered the last word out loud. Botan stirred and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Ow..." She clutches her head in pain. Botan looks at Yusuke. "Um... Yusuke?"

"What?"

She points at the ice bag. "What's with the melting ice bag?"

Yusuke looks at the bag that's beginning to drip. "Oops..." He runs out of the room and gets rid of the ice bag.

When he returns, she's sitting on the edge of his bed. He runs his hand through his hair again before he spoke up.

"So, why are you here Botan? 'Nother mission for me?"

She doesn't answer immediately. "Oh right, no, I was just looking for Keiko. I thought she might be here."

"So, no mission eh? I actually wanted to go on one, I'm bored."

Botan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you here, you could be outside doing something, you know."

"Yeah I know, but I- Wait, what the hell am I still doing here? Come on, lets go do something." He grabbed Botan's wrist.

"But I'm not bored like you!"

He ignored her. "Where do you want to go?"

"Yusuke!" Botan yelled. He simply dragged he out the door.

* * *

"Okay, tell me again why I'm here with you?" Botan crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Because we barely do anything together." Yusuke put his arms behind his head.

"What do you mean? We do things together."

"Yeah, like fight demons and other things that Koenma throws at us. The only time you're ever around Ningenkai is when there's a mission."

"Well, that is true." She stared at the cement pavement.

"So, where do you wanna go?"

She looked at him. "Hey, you're the one that dragged me along, I thought you knew where we were going."

"Uh... yeah..." Yusuke looks in another direction.

* * *

Keiko had gone out to buy some groceries/supplies for her family restaurant. She was taking her time even though her parents really needed the vegetables. She was strolling through the park, when she spotted a familiar redhead.

"Kurama-kun!" She yelled out.

Kurama turns around. "Keiko-san, good to see you."

"What are you doing here in the park?

"Just admiring nature's beauty." Kurama then picks a flower with his slender fingers.

"Oh, of course, I know how much you love plants."

Kurama nods his head and twirls the flower between his fingers. Keiko suddenly remembers yesterday's conversation with Botan about Kurama.

"Um, Kurama-kun, can I talk to you about something?"

He reverts his attention away from the flower and back to the girl. "Sure."

Kurama leads Keiko to a park bench nearby and they sit.

"Well, um... I don't really know how to put this... Um, you are a very attractive young man and you have a lot of female admirers, but you are still single. Do you have your eye on a certain person?"

Kurama turns his head away and he gave out a chuckle.

"You are a very bright girl, Keiko-san. And you are indeed correct."

Keiko smiled, 'Yes!' she thought. "Do you think I can help you and this girl in anyway?

"You can help by saying yes."

Keiko blinked. "Huh?"

Kurama turns to face Keiko. He takes her hands in his.

"Keiko-san, I know you have Yusuke, but I've been in love with you for so long. I might never be able to take Yusuke's place in your heart, but please, give me a chance." His eyes are determined but still pleading.

Keiko's face flushed. 'Wait, what? Kurama-kun is in love with me? But I- Yusuke- and- What?! I'm so confused.' She looks at Kurama's face and she notices how handsome his face is.

"Uh... I- Kurama-kun, I have to go." She stands up.

"Keiko-san just give it sometime..."

Keiko turns around. "I really have to go Kurama-kun. Um... Bye!" She runs off and she realizes her cheeks were still warm.

Kurama sits alone on the bench, sad and dejected. He looks at the flower he was playing with before. Curiosity got to him and he picked it up and plucked a petal off."

"She loves me." He plucks another petal off. "She loves me not."

* * *

Botan and Yusuke are sitting in a booth in a cafe. Yusuke started the conversation.

"So what do you want to talk about?"

"Keiko, I guess"

"Besides that..."

Botan looked at him, confused. "Why don't you want to talk about Keiko?"

"Because." He answered simply and look out the window.

She frowns at his answer. "You know you're going to marry her someday."

"Not really."

She raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"People are always saying we make a great couple and stuff. I'm not saying I don't love her, but I'm not really thrilled about starting a family with her."

"But I heard you proposed to her before you went to Makai."

"Hey, I was young, and I didn't want her to get another boyfriend."

Botan didn't respond. There was silence for a few moments. The waitress came back with Botan's cake and Yusuke's coffee.

"What about you Botan? You're still single."

Botan felt a strange sense of deja vu. "Yeah so?" She took a bite out of her cake.

"Don't you like someone? Like someone you want to spend the rest of your life with."

"Yeah." She stared at the chocolate icing of her cake.

Yusuke slightly twitched, though he wasn't sure why. "Do you think you and that person would work out?"

"No." She took another bite of her cake.

"Why not?"

"Because that person likes someone." She then looks out the window.

Yusuke stares at Botan for a while then he takes a sip of his coffee.

-------------------------End chapter 2-------------------------

Uh... I could cut it off like this, but it's so weird. I'm actually proud of the KeikoxKurama scene. I hate writing love scenes or whatever. YusukexBotan scenes are so hard to write for some reason. Um... about the Botan going to Reikai, don't ask, it was just because she had to leave and come back. And her clothes magically appearing, she did that once with her kimono, but I'm not sure about her normal clothes. And about Keiko and Botan feeling guilty, well, it was like they got into a little fight. Um... review and more flames please...


	3. Ice Cream

"Blah"- Speech

'Blah'- Thoughts

* * *

The door of the Yukimura Restaurant slid open then closed.

"Mom, Dad! I'm back with the things you told me to get!"

"Well, that took you a while." Her dad responed from behind the counter.

"Keiko, go check to see if the soup is done." Her mom said while chopping some vegetables.

"All right." Keiko gets behind the counter and all thoughts of Kurama is replaced by the texture of the soup.

* * *

"Why do you wanna go to the park? There's nothing to do there." Yusuke grumbled with his hands jammed in his pockets.

Botan turned around to face him so that she's now walking backwards. "Hey, you're the one saying we should spend time together or whatever. You already chose a place to go to, so now its my turn."

Yusuke mumbles something under his breath. Botan frowns at his attitude. She spots an ice cream cart and decides to lighten the mood.

"Want ice cream?"

Yusuke sits on a park bench.

"No, not really."

"Come on, everyone likes ice cream! I'll pay since you payed before."

"Fine, but get me chocolate."

"Okay!" Then she bounces over to the cart.

Yusuke stared at the girl. 'How'd she get so hyper? She wasn't like that just a few minutes ago...'

A few minutes later, she comes prancing back with two ice cream cones, one in each hand.

"I'm baack!" Botan holds out his ice cream cone.

Yusuke blinked several times and snatches the cone.

Botan stands there, looking down at him. "What? No 'thank you' or anything?"

"I never asked for it." Then he took a lick of the ice cream.

Botan pouts and connects her rump with the public seat. Even with the seemingly angry face, both knew she was just toying with him. He draws his attention away from the icy treat and stares at the girl sitting next to him. Botan sees Yusuke staring at her from the corner of her eye.

"Hm!" Then she turns her head another direction so that he was looking at her long blue ponytail.

Yusuke rolls his eyes and sighs. "Thanks for the ice cream Botan..."

She reverts her attention back to him and said in a way too cheerful voice. "Your welcome!"

They continue their consumtion of the frozen cream treat.

'She's so hyper... And so carefree. I never knew anyone like that. She's not like Keiko. Keiko worries about school and getting a scholarship and stuff like that. Botan, unlike Keiko is- Wait, why am I comparing the two?'

"Yusuke?" Botan's voice interrupts his thoughts.

"What?" He sees that she's done with her cone.

She points at his ice cream. "Your ice cream is melting."

Yusuke looks down at the cone. "Gah!" He quickly slurps up the melting dessert.

Botan tries to hide her giggles by covering her mouth.

"What?" He asked once again.

"You have chocolate ice cream on your face."

"Yeah so?" He stuck his tongue out at her. "What if I like having ice cream on my face?"

She giggled some more. "Hold still and let me wipe it off..."

Botan reaches in her pockets to get a tissue. Yusuke immediatly froze when the napkin came in contact with his cheek. Botan noticed how tense he got, even though she didn't really understand why. Then she realize what she was doing and close thier faces were to each other. Her face turned five shades of red.

"Uh... let's get going shall we?" Then she jump off the bench they were sitting on and skipped awkwardly towards the playground.

Yusuke slowly stands up and dumps the melted ice cream. 'Okay, what just happened?' His gaze falls on the ferry girl who is sitting on a swing. He brushes his hand through his hair and let out a fustrated sigh.

Botan slowly swings back and forth. 'What the crud was I doing?' She glances up to see Yusuke walking towards her. 'Oh boy...' She concentrates on the sand beneath her sneakers.

Yusuke takes a seat on the swing next to her. He doesnt say anything yet.

"...Botan?"

She hesitates but slowly answers him. "Yeah?"

"Do you...?" He glances over to where she was swinging. "Um... nevermind."

Silence.

Botan has stopped swing and looked up. The sun was setting, and it was a sight to see. It looked as if someone had accidentally spilled orange paint on the blue canvas called the sky. The great red orange ball of light was slowly disappearing behind the trees of the park. Botan let out a content sigh and smiled, completely forgetting that she had company.

* * *

Keiko slowly trodded up the stairs to her bedroom. She sighed, today was an exhausting day. 'So many customers...' She entered the dark room and lightly closed the door behind her. She shut her eyes for a few moments then opened them again. Her gaze landed on her twin sized bed. There, laying so neatly on her covers, were a bouquet of bright, red roses. Keiko shuffled her feet over to the bed. She picked up the bouquet and examined it. There ware exactly 12 roses, a dozen. The flowers were all in full bloom and there was not a single thorn on any of them. On the wrapping of the bouquet was a card stapled on. It read:

_Meet me in the park tomorrow._

_Same time and place as today._

_I'll be waiting._

_-Kurama_

Keiko blinked and recalled the scene from earlier that day. She looked at the roses, then tossed them on her desk. She jumped on her bed and landed on her stomach. She stuffed her face in the pillow and silence follows. After 3 hours and 17 minutes, Keiko gets off her bed and walks over to her desk. She twisted the nob to her mini desk light and grabbed a piece of paper and pen. She quickly jotted down:

_Meet Kurama in the park._

She stuck the note in a place where she could easily spot it and prepared to go to sleep.

-------------------------End chapter 3-------------------------

Wow, third chapter. I actually made it this far. I didn't think I could, cause I just planned this chapter in a day... Keiko was laying on her bed for 3 hours and 17 because she was wondering if she should go see Kurama or not. Well, besides Botan all of a sudden getting a huge suger rush... Oh yes, review please and flames are accpeted, but flame reasonably!


	4. Kiss

"Blah"- Speech

'Blah'- Thoughts

* * *

Lying perfectly still on his bed, Yusuke crossed his arms, placing them behind his head. His head laid on the pillow so that he faced the ceiling. The expression on his face obviously showed that he was deep in his thoughts.&

--- Flash Back ---

Yusuke kicked the sand mindlessly while sitting on a swing. Hearing a sigh from Botan, he turned her way and saw that she was staring at the sky. A small breeze blew by, causing the girl's blue hair to waver. The setting sun gave her skin an orange glow.

_Yusuke pulled the band supporting Botan's ponytail off. Her blue hair fell and covered her shoulders and most of her back. He slowly raked a hand through her hair. Yusuke noticed the girl's shiny lips whispering his name. He shifts his position a bit so that their lips were barely touching. So close..._

Yusuke stared at her for a while before he realized what he was doing. He silently cursed himself for thinking romantic thoughts about Botan. Well, it wasn't a sin to do what he was doing, was it? A little voice in his head reminded him of Keiko. 'What about her?' Yusuke thought back. He was about to start a mental fight with himself when Botan got off her swing.

"It's getting late Yusuke, I have to get back to Reikai now."

"Sure, whatever." He answered without looking at her.

"I never got to talk to Keiko though." She said more to herself than to him.

" 'ts not my problem."

"But it _is_ your fault..." Botan pointed out.

He simply shrugged.

"I'm going to have to come back tomorrow."

He looked up. "I thought you said you were leaving now."

Botan frowned, then summoned her oar. "I am." She hops on her oar.

" 'K bye."

"Bye" She paused. "And thanks for taking me out, I had fun. Thanks."

She was pretty sure he heard Yusuke mumble something, although she couldn't quite catch it.

Botan flies away and Yusuke watches her disappearing figure. Even after she was out of sight, he didn't move from the swing. Slowly, he began swinging back and forth.

--- End flash back ---

Yusuke stared at the ceiling for a moment more before he rolled over on his side and fell asleep. All his thoughts wandered to a certain blue haired ferry girl.

* * *

Keiko arrived at the park at 12:23 PM. She wasn't sure if she was early or late since the note Kurama wrote hasn't stated the exact time. She wasn't sure when she had met him yesterday either. Keiko spotted the red headed young man, sitting in the same spot as yesterday, just like the note had said. A blush had risen to her cheeks, and for a reason she did not know. She clutched the roses she had received a bit tighter and took a step towards Kurama. She could feel her heart beating faster for every step she took. Kurama looked up. His emerald eyes met her chocolate brown ones. She thought her heart was going to stop.

"Keiko-san, hi, you're early."

Keiko tried to get some words out of her throat. "... I am? Oh right! I am..."

"Come, have a seat."

She hesitates but approached him, slowly taking a seat next to him.

Kurama caught site of the roses she was holding. "I see you brought the roses."

"I... I had to give them back. They're lovely Kurama-kun, but... I can't accept them." She hands them back to him.

He examines the roses for a while as if looking for something that is missing, then suddenly throws them into a trash can nearby. Keiko, surprised by his action, directed her eyes toward the roses now in the dump.

"Keiko-san?"

She pries her eyes away from the roses and finds herself lost in his. Next thing she knew, she felt his lips pressing against her's. She could feel Kurama deepening the kiss. Keiko's eyes widened with shock. 'Pull away Keiko! This isn't right! You're not supposed to be doing this! And especially not with Kurama!' Her whole body felt tingly and warm. She noted that Yusuke's kiss was nothing like this. Well, she only kissed him once and that was when he just returned from Makai. Kurama released his lips from her's and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Kurama-kun..."

He suddenly got up and turned around.

"I'm so sorry Keiko-san. I don't know what came over me. I- I guess I lost control of myself. I'm sorry..."

"Kurama-kun..."

"I'm sorry. I shall be taking my leave now." He started to walk away from her.

"Wait Kurama-kun."

Kurama paused. Even though he does not turn around, Kurama could "see" her getting up from the bench and run up to him. He couldn't face her again, knowing the act he committed couldn't be easily forgiven. Keiko steps in front of him and just like that, she kissed him.

* * *

Botan stares blankly at the Reikai clouds. Even though she's _supposed_ to be guiding souls, she doesn't pay attention to the things going around her. Her eyes still settled on the sky, not noticing the impatience radiating off the soul she was _supposed_ to guide. Botan simply batted the soul away and went on with her daydreaming. She closes her eyes and lets the sun's rays shine down on her.

"Yusuke... Yusuke... How am I ever going to tell you how I feel?" She opened her eyes again and thought for a second. "If I ever do tell him how I feel..."

The soul circles around her head as if trying to tell her something. She glares at the soul with irritation and went on with her job.

* * *

Keiko sits in her wooden chair with her head buried in her arms. 'What was I thinking kissing him like that? It was a simple plan - return the roses and tell him there are other girls out there.' She moans. 'What have I done? What about Yusuke?' She turns her head to the left so that her right ear is resting on the table and came face to face with her Hamtaro photo frame. The picture was taken when she and Yusuke were 14 or 15. They were standing in front of the door of the Yukimura Restaurant and were wearing their school uniforms. Keiko picks up the frame and stares at it. After a while, she puts it back on the desk but in face down position so that the picture is facing the table. Feeling as if anything else could get worse, she lets out a sigh.

------------------------- End chapter 4 -------------------------

Yeah... a kiss scene. shrug I thought I did it pretty well. Lots of Kurama x Keiko stuff. Gr... I need to work on the Botan x Yusuke stuff. Don't ask about the Hamtaro picture frame, my sister and I were talking about Hamtaro when I was writing this. By the way, the picture she was looking at is the one from the 4th ending, 'Taiyou ga Mata Kagayaku Toki'. The Botan scene is kinda weird. I just added it to separate the Keiko x Kurama scene and the Keiko scene. Plus, I wanted the chapter to be a bit longer. I noticed how I keep repeating some stuff when I write, like using the same phrases. I'm getting worse and worse at this... Yeah, review and flame if needed to.


	5. Breakup

"Blah"- Speech

'Blah'- Thoughts

* * *

Botan smirks to herself as the Reikai clouds slowly disappeared were replaced by Ningenkai clouds. She had snuck away from her duties and hoped that Koenma would not notice her absence. She still needed to see Keiko and apologize to her. 'Maybe she forgot all about it.' Botan thought as flew pass a flock of birds. 'Or maybe she's really angry for delaying the apology.' She pondered at what her punishment may be if her second thought was correct.

Botan halted when she caught sight of the auburn hair girl sitting on a park bench. She saw Keiko look up at her and waved. Botan slowly descended from the sky until her feet were able to touch the ground.

"Hi Botan, what are you doing here?"

"I'm really sorry Keiko-chan! Please forgive me!" She bowed down so that her ponytail hung onto the left side of her head.

"Huh? What are you apologizing for?"

Botan looked up and stood straight up so that she was facing Keiko. "Remember two nights ago, when I stayed over at your house. Well, I was bothering you and stuff, so, well, I'm sorry."

Keiko blinked several times before it clicked into her mind. "Oh right! I forgot all about that! I was going to apologize for yelling at you. I thought you left early because you were upset."

Botan was quiet for a moment, then she started laughing. It started out low but then her laugh got louder. Not soon after, Keiko joins in.

"So, what are you doing here?" Botan asked after she snapped out of her laughing fit.

"Well... I was kinda looking for someone." Keiko looks down at the concrete ground.

"Huh?" It suddenly registered her mind. "Oh, so you're on a date?" She playfully jabbed Keiko on the arm.

"No... I..." She pauses before she continues. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Botan looks at her quizzically. "Of course Keiko-chan."

Keiko sits on the park bench and signals for Botan to take the seat next to her.

After she settles onto the bench, Botan speaks up. "What's wrong Keiko-chan?"

"I... kissed someone, and it wasn't Yusuke. And now, I..."

It took a while to sink into her mind. "Wait, you what?"

Keiko looks at her lap. "Botan, I kissed Kurama..."

Botan did a double take. "But, what about Yusuke? Wait... does he know about this?"

She shook her head. "No, he doesn't"

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't really know." Then she pleadingly looks at Botan. "Please don't tell anyone Botan and especially not Yusuke. If anyone should tell him, I think it should be me."

"All right Keiko-chan." Botan pauses to think. "What's your relationship with Kurama right now?'

"I... don't really know. I mean it was just kiss. It didn't have to mean anything..." Keiko fiddles with her fingers. "But for some reason, it meant a lot to me."

Botan stares at her intensely. "Keiko-chan... Does this mean that..."

"I think I have feelings for Kurama."

Silence.

"And what about Yusuke?"

"I don't think our relationship can go on."

* * *

Yusuke suddenly shuddered. Something was going to happen, he was sure of it. He sat up into an up right position so that he leaned against the wall. Yusuke watched as his drunkard of a mother chugged down a whole bottle of liquor. He saw her gulp down the last bit of alcohol, much to her disappointment. Atsuko attempted to stand but fell back onto the couch behind her. It took her a while, but she was able to stand up from the couch. She staggered to the kitchen, where Yusuke heard a small jingling of keys. Footsteps followed, a thump, then Atsuko came into Yusuke's line of sight.

"Yusuke, watch the house for me, k? I'm going out..." She slurred the last word out and hiccups.

Yusuke mumbles something about alcohol and money.

"You got that Yusuke?" Atsuko was about halfway to the door.

He rolls his eyes then yells back. "YEAH!"

Atsuko puts on her shoes in a strange manner then attempts to open the door. Yusuke gets up from his bed and walks into the living room where the couch is located. He sits on the leather couch and tried not to inhale the alcoholic fumes floating about.

"Kaa-san... try pushing the door." He said without looking at her.

Atsuko pushes the door open with a grunt.

"Later Yusuke..." She hiccuped.

His mom slips out the door but leaves the door open. She comes back in with Keiko behind her.

"You know Keiko-chan, you barely visit us anymore. When was the last time you came over? You should come over more often. After all, you and Yusuke are like an item."

Yusuke notices Keiko flinching at her last statement.

"Yusuke, take care of Keiko, she's a guest."

"Why don't you take care of her? You brought her in here."

Atsuko glares at him and pretends not to hear his last complaint. "Ok, be good now, make yourself at home Keiko-chan and don't do anything inappropriate."

She left again, but this time she shut the door behind her. The sound of the closed door echoed throughout the apartment. Neither teens said a word to each other. The shuffling of Keiko's feet can be heard as she walked away from the door to the couch Yusuke had occupied. Keiko couldn't help but feel uneasy with him staring at her with such intensity. She was about to break the ice but he beat her to it.

"What are you doing here Keiko?"

Keiko hesitated, fearing that he knew what she did and was about to say. "Yusuke... I really need to talk to you."

"Well, you're here. What do you want to talk to me about?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Yusuke, we've known each other for a really long time, and ever since we were little, people always thought we were going to make a great couple. I've been thinking about that. Yusuke, I care about you a lot, but not in the way that some people see us. The thing is Yusuke, I think we should split up."

Yusuke raised his eyebrow. "What? That's it?"

Keiko looks up. "What do you mean 'That's it'?"

He snorted then closed his eyes. "I don't think that that is the only reason. There's more to it than that, you're just not telling me."

She faces her lap once again. "You're right, there's more. I-"

"Actually, if you didn't tell me before, I don't think I want to hear it." He gets up from the couch.

"Yusuke..."

He ignores her and stomps out the door leaving her alone in the apartment.

-------------------------End chapter 5-------------------------

Phew! I finally finished chapter 5! It took me a really long time because I had such a mental block. Yay! Keiko and Yusuke finally split up! That means I'm free to write more BotanxYusuke stuffs! cheers Oh, right... Haha... I felt Keiko's breaking-up speech need to be a bit longer. I'm probably going to write two more chapters then the fic is finished. Review and flame me if need to.


	6. Surprise

"Blah"- Speech

'Blah'- Thoughts

* * *

A figure in a pink kimono sits alone on a park bench. Only a few minutes has passed since Keiko has left to confront Yusuke, and Botan hasn't moved from the bench. It saddened her to hear that her friends' relationship were to be discontinued. Yet, deep inside of her heart, she felt a spark of hope. Hope that the man she has fallen in love with, would love her back. Botan replayed all her moments with Yusuke in her mind, which included the ice cream moment. When she thought about it, the bench she currently occupied was the one Yusuke and her had been on yesterday. Her face flushed at the thought of those memories. 'Will I ever get that close to him again?' Botan propped her head against her hands and frowned. 'Probably not...' Her eyes roamed around the park when she spotted the familiar figure of a certain Spirit Detective. He had his hands stuffed in his jean pockets and he was obviously angry about something. Botan got up from the bench and silently followed him.

Yusuke mumbled something about Keiko . He paused for a few seconds to scan his surroundings. He raised his eyebrow, wondering why he had gone to the park. He continued his trek in silence, then stopped again. Yusuke stood in front of the swings, sand beneath his feet. He eyed the swaying child's entertainment for a moment before he made his way towards a swing. He placed one of his feet on the seat, then his other, not caring if the sand on his shoes made it impossible to sit. Slowly, he swayed back and forth. The sound of the swing squeaked in a rhythmic pattern. Too preoccupied with his thoughts, he never heard the person approach him until it was too late.

"Hi Yusuke!" Botan slapped him in the back.

Yusuke fell forward and got a face full of sand. Botan knelt down next to him and she heard him growl.

"Oops... Did I surprise you?"

Yusuke gets up and brushed the sand off his clothes. "No, I just decided to fall off..." His voice dripping with sarcasm.

Botan gets up from her crouching position. "So, what are you doing here?"

Instead of giving her an answer, he swerved around and headed back for the swing, his face a bit hard to read.

Botan bit her bottom lip. 'Well, what do you think you've been talking to Keiko about? Instead of helping him, I'm making it worse.' She made her way over to him. Yusuke was back on the swing but was obviously not in the mood for swaying. Botan watched him from the space between his swing and the next. There was a few moments of silence.

"I'm sorry." She whispered softly but was loud enough for his to hear.

He shrugged. "It's just sand..."

Botan shook her head. "No, its not about that."

Yusuke suddenly jumped off the swing. "What's this about then?"

"I know about what happened between you and Keiko..."

His expression changed. "Oh... That..."

"That's why you're here isn't it?"

"Well, kinda..." He puts his hand behind his neck.

"Yusuke, you don't have to pretend. You don't have to bottle up all those emotions."

"Wait, what?!" His arms flailing about in the air.

"Aren't you upset about Keiko?"

"I guess I should be, but I'm not..."

Botan sits on a swing. "Seriously? You're not sad or anything?"

"Not really..."

"Aren't you upset about what Keiko did?"

"Uh... She didn't really tell me what she did."

"Well, maybe that's why you're not moping..."

Yusuke frowned and placed his hands on his hips. "Hey, I wouldn't mope even if she did tell me what she did. Hey, you know what she did, what did she do?"

"I can't tell you that Yusuke, I promised Keiko that she would tell you."

He stepped in front of Botan. "Come on, what's the difference if you told me and if she told me."

"There's a big difference." She shot back.

Yusuke leaned down so that they were face to face. "Please?"

Botan leans back and falls over with her feet still hanging on the swing. "Yusuke! Look what you made me do!"

He doesn't look at her. "Well sor-ry..."

She waved her hand in the air. "You gonna help me up or what?"

Yusuke grabs her hand and pulls her up so that she sits on the swing. Instead of stopping there, he yanks her off the swing so that she stands up. Not realizing his own strength, Yusuke pulled a little too hard which caused Botan to knock him over. He lands with his back against the sand and she lying on top of him. The ponytailed girl flushes at their position and attempts to get up. Without warning, Yusuke wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her back down. This time, her chin rests on his shoulder with her chest pressed against his. Botan could feel her heart pounding madly.

She heard Yusuke whisper in her ear. "I like feeling your body so close to mine."

Thwap! Botan stood up gripping her oar tightly. She could feel her ears burn so she turned around, avoiding him. 'Not that I don't like being that close to him. It's just, why does he have to be so perverted sometimes.' She turned back around to yell at him, but Yusuke was nowhere to be found.

"Hi Botan!" Yusuke clamped his hands down onto her waist.

Botan used all her will power to not yell or wack him again. She turned around once more so that she faced him. Yusuke flashes her his cheeky grin. She responds by frowning and glaring at him.

He smirks. "Payback for pushing me off the swing."

Botan crosses her arms and continues to glare at him. Her glare soften then her arms drop back to her sides. She looks away from him and let out a sigh.

"Yusuke, I've been meaning to tell you something..."

She felt his hands on her shoulder. Botan doesn't move from her position. Yusuke gets her attention by cupping a side of her face in his hand. He leans forward so that their foreheads are touching and their lips were just as close. She didn't need a mirror to tell that she was blushing.

"Y-Yusuke?"

"You like me don't you?"

She smiles weakly. "Of course I like you Yusuke, you're my friend."

"I don't mean as a friend, I meant as more than that."

Botan swallowed but didn't answer.

He brushes a strand of hair away from her face. "You wont mind if I kiss you then right?"

She blinked several times. "Eh?"

Yusuke slides his hands from her shoulders down to her waist. " 'cause I like you too. And not just like a friend."

Botan was stunned by what she had just heard. 'Is this actually happening?' Well, she certainly hoped so. Yusuke tipped his head to the side. She could feel his lips slowly brush against her's until they were in full contact with each other. She felt a bit awkward so she cautiously placed her arms on his shoulders. Yusuke licked his lips without breaking contact with Botan. She broke away from the kiss with reluctance. Her eyes fluttered opened to meet with Yusuke's brown orbs. The warm smile he gave her made her heart skip a beat. Botan rested her head against his chest, she could hear his heart pound against her ear. Yusuke placed his chin on her head and inhaled the flowery scent of her hair.

------------------------- End chapter 6 -------------------------

Yay... I finally finished chapter 6. I was brain dead for a whole week. I don't even think it turned out so good. Yusuke seems really OOC and so does Botan. I hate this chapter...


	7. Happy Ending

"Blah"- Speech

'Blah'- Thoughts

* * *

Keiko stepped out of the Urameshi apartment. The thought of going after Yusuke hadn't occurred to her until a while later. She slowly made her way down the steps. 'But, what am I going to say when I see him?' She thought as she walked into the sidewalk full of busy people. 'I don't even know where he is!' Keiko walked pass the arcade, making sure to take a glance around to see if Yusuke was there. 'Where could he have gone?' As she crossed the gate of the park, she stopped in her tracks. For some reason, she felt her presence being drawn to the park. 'It's worth a shot'

Keiko cautiously walked through the area full of nature. Then she froze at the sight of Yusuke... with Botan... kissing... She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. 'Ok...' Part of her was glad that Yusuke wasn't moping or anything, but the other part of her felt hurt that she has been "replaced" so quickly. 'And by Botan too...' The sound of footsteps were heard from behind her. Keiko swiftly turned around causing her auburn hair to fly about. She comes face to face with Kurama.

He smiles at her. "Keiko-san."

She nods. "Kurama-kun."

A few minutes of silence before Keiko turns back to watch Yusuke and Botan. Kurama steps beside her and sees the other couple.

He couldn't help but ask. "What is your relationship with Yusuke now?"

She answers without looking at him. "Just friends I guess..."

"And what is their relationship?" He asked again referring to Botan and Yusuke.

Keiko shrugged her shoulders.

A pause, then another question. "... And us?"

She lowers her head so that her bangs covers her eyes. "I don't know..."

"What do you want it to be?"

Keiko turns around gradually, revealing her cheeks tinged with pinkness. Their eyes meet, then she smiles.

"More than just friends."

Kurama's lips slowly curled into a smile and he takes a step towards her. He took her hands in his. They share another kiss, short, sweet, but it explained everything they need to know.

Softly, he whispered into her ear. "Keiko-san, you've made me so happy..."

* * *

Yusuke looked down at the girl clinging onto his arm. 'She looks so happy...' Botan notices him staring at her. She blinked a few times and crooked her neck to the side.

"What?"

Yusuke chuckles at her cuteness. "Nothing, you just look so happy. Happier than usual."

Botan hugs his arm a little tighter. "Well, that's because you told me the thing I've always wanted to hear. I've liked you for a long time."

He arches his eyebrow and smirks. "How long?"

"For a really long time."

"Then why did you still help me and Keiko get together?"

Botan lets go of his arm and steps in front of him. "I wanted you to be happy, Yusuke, because it's not as simple as just liking you. I've fallen in love with you. You're the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Please Yusuke, give me a chance to be loved." Her eyes glittered with anticipation.

Yusuke was stunned, moved by her words. He silently closed his eyes as he took Botan in his arms.

"Of course Botan. Of course I'll give you a chance."

Botan felt something pull on her chest as a few tears trickled down her cheek.

She sniffled a bit. "Thank you..."

He smiled softly. "Hey... what's with the tears?" Using the back of his hand, he brushes her tears away.

"N- nothing"

"Botan..." Yusuke inches closer to her.

"Yusuke..." She does the same.

Kurama suddenly decided to clear his throat. "Ahem..."

The two looked up to see Kurama and Keiko, holding hands.

"Hi Yusuke, Botan." Keiko waved.

Yusuke lets go of Botan and examines the other two. "Kurama? Keiko? You guys... What?"

Keiko puts a finger to her chin. "Well... you know that other reason I didn't want to tell you at first but later tried to tell you but you didn't want to hear it? Well, yeah..." She then leans on Kurama's shoulder.

"Ok... so you fell for one of my friends, sure." He said with faked jealousy.

"Well, he shows more love to me than you ever did!" Keiko hugs her new boyfriend protectively.

"Well, Botan has a better figure than you ever will have!" Yusuke holds Botan out in front of them as if showing off.

SLAP! WACK! Keiko and Botan glare at the teen lying on the ground nursing his well deserved wounds. The blue haired deity de-materialized her oar then realizes what she just did and ran over to check on him.

Hiei chuckled as the deity strikes the Spirit Detective again right after she helped him to his feet. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and laid his back onto the tree trunk. He frowned when Kurama and Keiko started "cuddling". He snorted. 'Love, such a stupid emotion... Look what it did to Kurama...' He averted his eyes to the rustle in a bush nearby. A fox with wings attached to its back stepped out. It seemed to be carrying a bow and a sack of heart arrows. The fire demon raised an eyebrow for a while before shrugging it off.

------------------------- End -------------------------

Well, that's all folks, that's the end of this fic. I don't really like my fic, the characters seem kinda OOC. Either that or I'm not too confident of my writing skills. When I read good fics like 'Nox or 'Blue Light' or 'To catch a Thief', I know what I'm missing. The story needs a plot, a mission for Yusuke and stuff. Since I'm not all that creative, I can't think of a monster or anything. I know a lot of vocabulary, but I don't want to use words that I barely know. The fox at the end of the story is 'The Matchmaking Vulpix' I sometimes add at the end of my Pokemon stories. Since there are no such things as Vulpix in the Yuu Yuu Hakusho world, foxes are the next best thing. Ok, no, I'm not writing a sequel, I hate sequels... Geez... this chapter is so short...


End file.
